Dwayne Stephens Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Seventh Year

Dwayne Stephens will enter his seventh season as an assistant coach at Michigan State in 2009-10.

Among Stephens' many responsibilities, he coaches the Spartan post players, while also handling scouting and recruiting duties. Under his tutelage, Spartan center Paul Davis was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree, including first-team all-conference and Associated Press honorable mention All-America honors in 2003-04, while finishing among the top 10 scorers and rebounders in MSU history. Last season, second-team All-Big Ten performer Goran Suton led the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.4 boards per contest, one season after ranking second in the conference. The Spartans also finished the season leading the nation in rebounding margin (+9.3).

Stephens has coached in seven straight NCAA Tournaments, including the 2003 Final Four with Marquette and the 2005 and 2009 Final Fours with MSU. In 2006-07, the Spartan big men led a defensive attack that set a school record in blocks and led the conference in rebound margin for the second time in three years.

Stephens has emerged as one of the top recruiters in the nation. He was named a Rivals.com Class of 2006 Top 25 Recruiter in September, and played a key role in putting together a top-five recruiting class in the fall of 2006.

"Dwayne has made great strides in his coaching," said head coach Tom Izzo. "One of his greatest strengths is his recruiting as he has played a large role in putting together some of the best recruiting classes of my time at Michigan State. He has taken on more responsibility over the last year and will continue to do so as he looks to someday lead his own program."

A Ferndale, Mich., native, Stephens was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State University from 1989-93. In his four seasons, the Spartans posted an 84-38 overall record and made four postseason appearances, as Stephens never missed a game in his career. As a freshman in 1989-90, Stephens was a third-team selection on Basketball Weekly's Freshman All-America Team, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. He scored the game-winning basket in a 72-70 victory over Purdue that clinched the Big Ten Championship for the Spartans. In the 1990 NCAA Tournament, he averaged 10.0 points in three contests. In 1990-91, Stephens was the recipient of MSUÕs Best Defensive Player Award, while averaging 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds on a Spartan squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

As a junior, Stephens was voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates as he averaged 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. For his efforts, he was also named honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the league's media and coaches, while being named the recipient of MSU's Most Improved Player Award. In two NCAA Tournament games, Stephens averaged 16.0 points. In 1992-93, Stephens served as a senior co-captain for the Spartans, averaging 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He was named MSU's Best Defensive Player and earned a spot on the Basketball Weekly Honorable Mention All-Midwest Team.

Prior to returning to his alma mater, Stephens spent four years as an assistant at Marquette. Stephens joined the Marquette coaching staff for the 1999-2000 season, when former Michigan State assistant Tom Crean took over the Golden Eagle program. In his initial season, Stephens helped guide Marquette to a 15-14 record and a berth in the NIT. One year later, the Golden Eagles posted an identical 15-14 overall record, but improved from 8-8 to 9-7 in Conference USA. In addition, Brian Wardle became Marquette's first-ever first-team All-Conference USA honoree in 2001.

In 2001-02, Stephens helped lead the Golden Eagle program to a 26-7 record and an appearance in the 2002 NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. Dwyane Wade earned Conference USA First Team and NABC and USBWA All-District honors, while being named honorable mention All-America by The Associated Press and Newcomer of the Year by Basketball Times. In 2002-03, Stephens was on a Marquette coaching staff that helped guide the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Final Four along with a Conference USA regular-season title and a 27-6 record. Wade earned First-Team All-America honors from The Associated Press, averaging 21.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Prior to his coaching stint at Marquette, Stephens spent the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons as an assistant coach at Oakland University, where the Golden Grizzlies compiled a 27-27 two-year record. During the '98-99 campaign, Oakland's first season as a Division I member, the Golden Grizzlies posted a 12-15 mark.

Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Stephens played three professional seasons in Europe.

Stephens earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Michigan State in 1993. His family includes his daughter, Taylor Olivia.